Nine years

Robert, tik daudzas krāšņas, saulainas dienas mums kopā!

Tā arī ir bijuši liela tiesa mūsu deviņi gadi; siltas pavasara dienas pastaigas puķu pilnos laukos. Tomēr arī ieķerās kāda ērce vai makšķerēšanas tārpa āķis kāzu kleitas plīvurā, bet laimīgā kārtā varu lūgt tavu palīdzību draudus atšķetināt – un varam kopā makšķerēt ar mazām nelaimītēm ķerot lielos basus.

Laimīgu devīto kāzu jubilēju!

Baltic Christmas Day 17 - Memories of puzuri, then and now

Today we welcome Ilze Lucero to 24 Days of a Baltic Christmas! The photographer, artist and designer in Michigan joins us on Day 17 with a glimpse of her childhood in Latvia…

One of my Christmas memories growing up in Latvia was making puzuri - Christmas mobiles made of straw, popular in the Baltic region (in Finland they are known as himmeli). I usually ended up with several small ones that we used as ornaments on a tree.

I remember going to the Ethnographic museum and seeing intricate complex mobiles tied together and spinning as the air moved through the room, and it fascinated me, and brought me wonder and joy.

As years have passed and my life journey has brought me to the United States, I try to bring some of my Latvian traditions to our family life. We bake hard gingerbread cookies. After a visit with family in Latvia this summer, I was inspired to make puzuri – well, a bit of a modern take on puzuri – I used thin bar straws and fishing line, and embellished some of them with beads. I'm hoping to make quite a few more and let them hang in my windows as well.

I love seeing how age-old traditions blend with everyday life; how digging in the past brings happy memories from childhood, as well as makes new memories for the family.

Paldies Ilze! I have the same fascination with watching puzuri spin and twirl in the soft light of a Christmas tree – so magical!

Ilze is a photographer, artist, and graphic & stationery designer in Michigan. Over the last few years she has started designing traditional Latvian-inspired clothing and Latvian greeting cards, a collection of which are available through her Zazzle store. Ilze has also recently started a personal photography project - Portrait of a Latvian Nomad - with a goal of photographing portraits of Latvians scattered around the world.

A post shared by Ilze Lucero (@ilzelucerophoto) on Nov 19, 2017 at 2:26pm PST

Ilze does have a few Latvian Christmas designs that would be great gifts, so please make sure to take a look at her graphic and stationery design sites on Redbubble, Zazzle and Etsy, and follow her on Facebook and Instagram. Ilze’s photography portfolio is on her website, Facebook and Instagram, and more on Latvian Nomad can also be found on Facebook and Instagram. In addition to the traditional Latvian-inspired designs she has more than a few great gift ideas that carry across her love of the natural world – something we Balts all have in common.... Take a look!

Clockwise: Belted Latvian mug, Geode iPhone case, Lielvārde motif throw pillow, Lielvārde iPhone case (buy here)

Thanks for joining us today on the Third Advent, and please pop in tomorrow for a surprise appearance by some favorite webcast personalities!

Stick bread twists

I found myself in charge of designing a program for thirty 6 to 12 year olds for the annual Latvian 3x3 camp in Gaŗezers, Michigan, and although coming up with ideas was easy enough, implementation was a different matter. Our assigned space was one of the new Avoti classrooms (used by the 6-week summer high school program), but as a couple dozen kids buzzing around me in an enclosed room lacked appeal, we spent the majority of our time outdoors. In addition to hikes and nature walks, one of the most successful activities was a morning in the kitchen… outdoors!

The Saulgrieži (indoor) kitchen was being used by the Latvian cooking class for adults in the mornings, and although we could have tried to squeeze in 10-15 kids one afternoon, the space is just too tiny. My mother was the first to suggest cooking outdoors, and once I had convinced her to be the guest teacher, a plan quickly fell into place; we would make bread.

Although the bread recipe featured in this post isn’t Latvian, per se, bread has always been honored and appreciated within the Latvian culture. Traditional rye and barley breads nourish not just the body but also the soul, and hold a special place in the lives of many latvieši both in Latvia and abroad.

Nāc, Jumīti, mūs’ mājās,

Še būs laba dzīvošana:

Došu maizi, došu zirņus,

Saldu alu nodzerties.

The day before our campfire bread baking activity, we gathered wood for the fire and found small saplings to cut down and strip of bark for cooking sticks. The afternoon in the woods featured many lessons: how to identify poison ivy, how to find dry wood, teamwork, and which species of tree to harvest (and which to leave). By the end of the day we had a stack of firewood ready, and the next morning all that was left was to build a fire and start cooking.

There is an art to building a fire, and although I’ve found that offering the students some suggestions will help speed things along, I prefer to let them learn from experience. The kids worked together to stack their ugunskurs, and with a little help we soon had a hot fire burning. I threw on some bigger logs, and then we stepped over to a picnic table to make the dough – the fire would have to burn down to coals so that we could cook on it.

My mother had found a recipe that could easily be made in Ziploc bags. Similar to the bannock that originated in Scotland and Ireland centuries ago, it is an unleavened bread and features only a few simple ingredients. To exclude the possibility of illness from bread that hasn’t cooked thoroughly we skipped the eggs, and by sticking measuring spoons and cups in with each ingredient, we nearly eliminated measuring error from the equation. Here’s the recipe we used…

Stick twist bread (cooked on a campfire)

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon sugar

2/3 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

Salt to taste (less than 1 teaspoon)

¼ cup milk

1 ½ tablespoons canola oil

Directions:

1. Mix together dry ingredients in Ziploc, then add milk and oil. We helped measure out the liquids so that it wouldn’t get messy.

2. Press out all the air from the bag and seal, then knead until all ingredients have been combined.

3. On a flat surface dusted with flour (or simply in your hands), roll the dough out into a long ‘snake’. Flatten, then wind around your cooking stick.

4. Cook over the coals of the fire until done, then serve!

The result can be called stick bread or twists, as the dough is wrapped around a clean stick; we stripped green saplings of bark and whittled them down for our cookers. The key is in getting the dough to the right consistency: not too dry (it will fall off the cooking stick as it warms and dries out) and not too wet (too sticky to work with). But kādreiz tā gadās, and when losing the dough to the fire seemed imminent, we would place the half-cooked bread on some aluminum foil to allow it additional baking time over the coals.

Placing some larger logs around the coals eased the baking process, as the children could rest their cooking sticks on the logs while still keeping them close to the heat. By rotating the stick often and toasting the bread over hot coals instead of open flame, the bread cooks evenly. It’s done when it has a deep golden-brown exterior and sounds hollow when tapped – around 5-10 minutes, depending on the fire and thickness of dough. Last of all, a drizzle of honey over the finished product really sweetened the deal (although I found the bread tasty without). I imagine cinnamon, Nutella and jam could also serve as toppings in a pinch...

A journey across the 50 States at TCMU

We haven’t been THIS excited about a new exhibit at the Children’s Museum in a while… The third floor has been transformed into an exploration of the United States: Trivial Pursuit, A 50-State Adventure!

California, Rhode Island, Connecticut and Pennsylvania

The exhibit opened mid-January to high praise from many Upstate parents. Children can travel across the 50 states, discovering the geography, history and culture of some of America’s most spectacular places.

Alaska, Arizona

The scenic panoramas serving as backdrops feature familiar tourist destinations, National Parks, sports venues and historic sites. There are plenty of hands-on opportunities to learn for kids of all ages, with features for tactile toddler exploration alongside facts and trivia for older kids and adults. The boys raced sled dogs in the Iditarod, rode a mule into the Grand Canyon, hitched a ride in a covered wagon, hit a home run in Fenway, and snorkeled in Hawaii. Meanwhile I was mentally paging through a photo album of places I had visited, the most vivid memory being Arches National Park.

Nebraska, Massachusetts, Maine, Hawaii

We’ve been to the museum and "Trivial Pursuit" multiple times, and I still feel as we haven’t seen the whole exhibit – there is yet another state, another fun activity around every corner. My boys had fun searching for the states we’ve traveled to, and special attention was paid to those states that friends and family are living in.

Minnesota, Michigan, Iowa, Utah, Alabama, Illinois

TCMU is also incorporating stories, arts and crafts into programs centered around the exhibit. Please visit their website and the calendar for more information on programs such as “Trivial Pursuit – Nebraska Adventure” and their President’s Day “Trivial Pursuit Camp.”

South Carolina, New Mexico, Montana, Idaho

The exhibit runs through May 15 of this year, so there is still plenty of time to discover this amazing exhibit! Entrance fees, museum hours and other information are available on the TCMU website, http://www.tcmupstate.org. Bon voyage!

A Gaŗezers party

We celebrated the middle son’s fourth birthday starting on Friday, the ‘real day,’ and ending with a little party Sunday. House rules are jubilārs vēlās – Mikus was in charge Friday. The morning started with memory games bearing pictures of construction equipment such as ‘wheel loader’ and ‘material handler’ vs ‘track loader’ and ‘telehandler’; is it any wonder mom lost?

After a lunch date with dad we picked up big brother and headed to a tea party. A bunch of kids sitting around a table drinking tea and eating small cookies is about the cutest thing, although I don’t know about entrusting my boys with irreplaceable china!

Mikus requested dinner at Runway Café, but as it was dark we couldn’t play on the playground. However, we could see the lights on the airplanes taking off and landing, and the chatter from the tower kept the boys attention throughout dinner.

Leave it to Mikus to select the theme ‘Gaŗezers’ for his birthday party. A little hard to manage in the middle of South Carolina, we opted to celebrate all the things he likes to do at the Latvian center/summer camp up in Michigan, such as go fishing. My mother made this amazing tablecloth, an exact replica of the shape of Long Lake – complete with Dūņezers and Clear Lake nearby. We added the Gaŗezers welcome sign even though our guests wouldn’t recognize it. At some point we'll sit down with cloth markers and draw all of our favorite places, roads and other landmarks in. 

The fishing part was fun. A fishbowl on the table had two little electronic swimming fish. I dug through the boys' Toobs and toys for turtles, frogs, birds and other animals that we often see in Gaŗezers, and fishing net pieces and a few lures (without hooks) formed a nice backdrop. A few mini-lanterns were painted to look like giant bobbers, which together with balloons and streamers provided a festive atmosphere.

We used the same tackle box that I had filled with gummi worms and bobbers for the Camp Vilis party, this time filling it with healthier snacks – goldfish, pretzels, nuts and dried fruit. Along with chips, crackers, hummus and guacamole, this kept the kids from starving until it was time to eat dinner.

Dad built a cardboard boat as I was worried it would be too chilly to play outside (which we outfitted with a life vest, nets and magnetic fishing reel set), but it turned out to be just warm enough to expend some major energy in the backyard before coming in to eat.

The dozens of Garezers shirts finally come in handy...

Dessert was Martha’s one-bowl chocolate cake, baked in bread tins and sculpted to resemble a fishing boat. With a fisherman figurine in back and set adrift in a lake of Jell-O jigglers, the boat was complete with outboard motor and steering wheel.

For party favors I found fishing lure organizers at Cabela’s that I thought all the kids would love, as they are great for organizing all those little treasures – marbles, colored stones, acorns, pennies, paper scraps. Not wanting to give them to our guests empty, I filled them with tiny turtle and frog figures, gummi worms, Swedish fish, octopus and shark candy, before tying them with twine and adorning with a bobber.

The birthday boy enjoyed his weekend, that is until announcing that “he was so sad he has to wait an entire year for his next birthday.” Me too, buddy - we’ll just have to play an extra couple rounds of Go Fish and the Big Trucks and Diggers memory game these next couple of weeks!

G50

The summer of 2015 is a momentous time for Latvian-Americans, especially those living in the Midwest; this past weekend was the fiftieth anniversary celebration of the Latvian Center Gaŗezers in Michigan. In 1965 a group of forward-thinking leaders found and purchased property near Three Rivers that used to be a YMCA camp, and therefore had some of the amenities in place to form the foundation of what would 50 years later be a summer camp, high school, cultural and spiritual center, a hub of sports activity including the infamous volleyball weekend, as well as the heart of Latvian activity in the Midwest. It was where I first met Roberts and where I married him. We were wed by one of the visionaries who founded Gaŗezers, Vilis Vārsbergs, who also christened me when I was a baby, and thirty years later christened Lauris (on the shore of Gaŗezers) and Mikus. There’s an interesting article on Gaŗezers from the perspective of a writer living in Latvia (Tatjana Žagare-Vītiņā) in this week’s edition of Ir – “Satikušies” – which features a picture of a much younger Roberts with a few of his summer co-conspirators as a centerfold!

From all the pictures and reports coming out of Mazā Latvija (Little Latvia) it seems to have been a successful event, complete with “Gaŗezers-palooza” featuring musical acts the like of which haven’t been heard from in over twenty years such as Frikadeļu Zupa & Bob and the Latvians, as well as ones still rocking in Latvia today, like Pērkons and Čikāgas Piecīši. With an art fair specially curated for the occasion, a golf tournament, 4^th of July fireworks, “Taste of Gaŗezers,” food trucks, a screening of Māra Pelēcis’ documentary on Gaŗezers and a variety of other events, this was a not-to-be missed once-in-a-lifetime affair.

Garezera 50 gadu jubilejai from Mara Pelecis on Vimeo.

Of course we missed it. It just so happened that we were in lielā (as opposed to little) Latvia, although I guess that’s a better excuse than many, and a story for another time…

Six years

In honor of the big G50 celebration coming up and our 6^th wedding anniversary! We married in Three Rivers, MI and celebrated with family and friends in Gaŗezers. It was a slightly chilly spring morning, but the dogwoods were blooming, the forest was bright green with buds and I said “yes” to the man I love most in the world.

Mīļais Robert, daudz laimes 6. kāzu jubilējā! 

A fourth of July in Garezers

We kicked off our fourth of July celebrations this year with a little bit of World Cup viewing and a parade. Of course the parade was more of the family-down-the-street-with-a-tractor-and-a-wagon type than the Dziesmu Svētku variety. Actually, the XIV Latvian Song Festival was taking place on these warm summer days (in Hamilton, Ontario), we just didn’t make it up to Canada and instead were celebrating America’s birthday on the shores of Gaŗezers.

What is the fourth without a barbecue? Master griller Alnis manned the burgers, with a little bit of supervision.

We sat down to a table decked out in red, white and blue.

After taking a break to digest we hit the cheesecake. Yes, there really are 50 blueberries and seven stripes of raspberries. And yes, it was delicious, if I can say so myself.

That evening was the camp bonfire, but afterward we had some fireworks of our own down on the beach.

It was the next night, Saturday, that we headed to Atbalsis, the resort and campground adjacent to Gaŗezers on neighboring Clear Lake. Mikus wasn’t the biggest fan of the late bedtime nor the noisy/bright celebration, and fell asleep halfway into the celebration with his head tucked into my armpit. But the rest of us enjoyed the show, filing this fourth of July away in our memory banks another good one. Now if Atbalsis would just cut down that one tree...

Līst kā pa Jāņiem!

The days before Jāņi are spent in preparation: gardens must be weeded, laundry washed, Jāņu siers tied. Mūsu gadijumā, arī pakojamies ceļojumam uz Gaŗezeru, kur svinējām Jāņus iepriekšējā nogalē. Sanāca gaŗš ceļš – spēkratiem pietrūka spēks kautkur Kentucky štatā – un tā arī gadijās, ka ieradamies Gaŗezerā tikai sestdien. Svētku norise jau bija pilnā sparā; visur ozola zari un puķes sanestas un vainagu pinēji pie darba.

Traditionally on zāļu diena (June 23^rd) the last Jāņu tasks were completed. After a final cleaning the home was decorated with meijas, oak and mountain ash branches, which served not only a decorative purpose, but also would protect the house against witches and Pērkons in the coming year. Healing herbs were foraged for the next year, as on this day they were thought to be at their peak power. As we had no cows and horses to feed we concentrated on picking our Jāņu zāles, to be fashioned into oak wreaths for all three boys and a flower crown for me to wear that evening. I’m particular to daisies, and although we saw hillsides covered in the white flowers along the highway in Ohio, as we approached our destination there were few to be found. Luckily by arrival we had secured a few bunches, and the woods provided the necessary oak branches for me to set to work on the crowns.

Visas bija Jāņu zāles,

Ko plūc Jāņa vakarā;

Visi bija Jāņu bērni,

Kas Jānīti daudzināja.

Pirms zinājām, Jāņu vakars arī bija klāt! Uzvilkuši svētku drēbes piebiedrojamies pulkam kuŗš nāca no plūdmales. Gaŗezers bija saorganizējis Jāņu aplīgošanu; līgotāji devās par “apgabaliem” dziedot un līksmojot. Tur nodziedot piemērotas līgo dziesmas viņus pacienāja ar Jāņu sieru un alu. Pavisam drīz jau sākās lietus; vispirms maigs, netraucējot līgotājus, bet ar katru apgabalu tas kļuva stiprāks, līdz lietussargi gandrīz vai nebija pietiekam pasargāt no lielām lietus lāsīm. Puiši salijuši, devamies atpakaļ uz Lāču Annas paviljonu, kur turpinājās Jāņu svinēšana līdz pat saulaustam.

On the eve of Jāņi it is tradition to start the festivities with the crowning of the Jāņu father and mother, the hosts to the Jāņu bērni of the evening. These are the celebrants who go from farm to farm singing and bringing blessings with their song. We missed the kick-off that Saturday evening, but caught up with the līgotāji on one of the first of their stops, singing while making the rounds of Dzintari. At various stops we were treated to the traditional Jāņu cheese and beer, and even the start of a rainshower didn’t dampen the enthusiasm of the līgotāji. Lauris and Mikus were entranced by the singing, and soon got over their shyness with the first offered pīrāgi, traditional Latvian bread rolls filled with bacon and onion. Our enthusiasm may have dampened a bit as the rain picked up, but soon we found ourselves back on the beach where the traditional bonfire had been lit at dusk, to provide transition from the light of day, through the dark of the shortest night of the year, until the sun once again rises the following morning.

Jānis sēde kalniņā, līgo, līgo, zāļu nasta mugurā, līgo, līgo.

Nāc Jānīti, sētiņā, došu siera gabaliņu.

Jānīšam treji vārti, visus trejus virināja.

Pa vieniem Jānīts gāja, pa otriem Jāņa bērni,

Pa trešiem mīļā Māra, div’ dzelteni kumeliņi.

Jāņuguns arī dega… nu dūmoja. Ugunskurs tomēr bija tik kārtīgi sabūvēts, ka tas dega lietu nemanot. Uzmetām arī mūsu Jāņu vaiņagus no iepriekšējā gada, lai nestu laimi nākamajā. Senlatvieši ticēja, ka jāuzturās pie uguns visu nakti, jo tas dodot veselību un līdzot pret slimībām. Tā arī tie lēca pāri ugunskuram, tomēr mums šajā naktī nebija lemts milzīgo guni pārlekt. Salijuši devāmies uz mājiņu.

Off to the right is the smoking Jāņuguns

After admiring the Jāņu bonfire and tossing last year’s wreaths on to bring good luck in the coming year we headed to shelter for some dry clothes. It wasn’t long before family gathered and the singing began, although it wasn’t meant to be to return to the bonfire that evening. The rain continued for three days, through Tuesday which was the actual Jāņu diena this year – the 24^th – (although we celebrated over the weekend), and so it really did “rain as if Jāņi,” lija kā par Jāņiem… Ja Jāņu dienā tik ilgi līst lietus, kamēr zirgu var apseglot, tad būs auglīga vasara. If it rains on Jāņi long enough to saddle a horse, then it will be a fertile and bountiful summer.

Līgojam, līgojam, neguļam, neguļam,

Redzēsim, redzēsim kā saulīte rotājās.

          Lec, saulīte, rītā agri, lec ar Dieva palīdziņu;

          Ir mums tava gaišumiņa vajadzēt vajadzēja.

Līgojiet, līgojiet, nava gaŗa Jāņu nakte –

Viena puse tumsin tumsa, otrā ausa gaišumiņš.

Last notes on Michigan

The last couple of days in Michigan went by far too quickly, and seemingly hundreds of goodbyes were said as we prepared to head back down South. As we are not sure when exactly we'll be back, bidding adieu to the grandparents was especially hard.

 
While in the car I though I heard Lauris say es mīlu tevi, mamma. When I replied in kind he said nē, es mīlu treileri, mamma!

 
He also loves several onkuļi and tantes, and has been talking nonstop about them since we've returned. You know who you are.

 
Mikus seems a little lost here at home. He keeps taking off to the bathroom in attempt to fill up the tub - I think he misses Long Lake the most.

 
The rain has followed us back again - or it never left. My cucumber harvest has intensified (if that's even possible), and the mosquitos are insufferable. At least in Michigan it cooled down after it rained...

 
To try and get over the post-Gaŗezers depression we are staying busy. Now, if I could just get motivated to do the laundry!

Volleyball weekend

For any Latvian (or many friends of Latvians), the words “volleyball weekend” or “4-2 weekend” mean two/three days of nonstop partying during the annual volleyball tournament at the Latvian Center Gaŗezers. The 4-2 refers to the ratio of males to females on each team, and over 20 6-person teams compete for the prestigious win of the tournament each year. With several brackets (the power bracket featuring college team-level players and then the “beer bracket” at the opposite end of the spectrum) and a youth tournament (up to 19) the first day, there is room for every skill and energy level. Growing up watching the games I thought everyone played as well as the athletes on the court Sunday night come semi-finals, and was shocked to find I could compete in high school despite only playing beer bracket on 4-2. At the top level of Latvian volleyball you might remember the London Olympics in 2012, when the men’s beach volleyball team of Pļaviņš and Šmēdiņš came from no recognition in the press to a victory over the top American team and a run to the semi-finals. (These two Latvians are currently winning tournaments and competitions across the world.) A Latvian was also a starter on the 1984 gold-medal winning American Olympic team; this weekend his sons played in the “power” bracket.

Mikus has developed a lifelong aversion to mascots after meeting the Dzelzs Vilks

 

Those not playing volleyball might participate in the Cook Associates- organized golf tournament with proceeds going to Gaŗezers, or in the East coast vs. Midwest soccer tournament. If not athletically inclined, one might spend the weekend watching the games, catching up with friends, soaking up the sun on the beach, going out in the boat or driving over to Three Rivers for a meal or supply run. We spent a large portion of our time on the beach, with friends and family stopping by for a chat or to join in the fun. For a few hours we crossed to the other side of the lake to celebrate the fifteenth anniversary of my GVV (the Gaŗezers summer high school) graduation.

The good lookin' GVV class of '98

 

Years ago volleyball weekend was a perfect opportunity to get a picture of almost all the grandkids (on my side of the family), as the majority of 12 grandchildren were either working at the Latvian Center, or attending camp and summer high school there. These days it is slim pickings, and although we’ve acquired two “kids” through marriage and two great-grandchildren, almost half of our bunch was missing. Nevertheless, I present to you the mazbērnu bilde 2013!

 

Volleyball weekend also brought the closing picnic for bizbiz bērnu camp, and this proud mother watched Lauris’s first ever performance in what will no doubt be a long history of skits, graduations, campfires, recitals and concerts.

 

The most interesting event of the weekend for me might have been the unearthing of the SP time capsule. In true saimnieku puišu fashion nobody could remember exactly where the container had been buried, and the “nine paces from the tree marked with the old Dodge key” evolved into “nineteen drunken Daukšs paces” as additional beer cans were emptied. After an hour of fruitless digging the Kubota was brought in, but as the pit increased in size it soon became clear that a new strategy should be sought. Another two hours later the faithful struck paydirt, and a relieved crew of SPs celebrated the contents which I cannot reveal here; not only what happens at the vecais dump stays in the vecais dump, but I would hate to violate the SP code. Of course I might possibly have been the only SP who had to hurry back from the reunion to put the kids to bed…

 

And so the weekend ended, and Dzintari quickly emptied as people escaped the vortex to return to their “real” lives. We stayed on a few days to spend a few more hours with relatives, as well as recuperate from excessive… vortex-ing, and already the hours spent cheering on our favorites during finālspēles seem a distant memory. Time to start working on setting, bumping and spiking with Lauris and Mikus!